Articulated coil spring connector

ABSTRACT

A connector for coil springs, including a pair of relatively aligned and spaced plugs of generally cylindrical shape for reception within the adjacent ends of the spring sections to be connected, said plugs having relatively opposed radial end faces adapted for abutting engagement with radially inwardly extending portions of the respective spring ends whereby to retain the springs on the plugs. The said plugs are interconnected by a braided flexible metal cable received in sockets within the respective plugs, the plugs being fixedly and permanently compression fitted onto the cable, whereby the cable transmits tensional forces between the plugs while being freely flexible and twistable to permit relative rotation of the plugs within limits about the longitudinal axis of the cable and relative angular movement of the plugs in planes parallel to the length of the cable. In the preferred embodiment, the space between the plugs is substantial in order to provide an ample range of flexibility and twistability. In order to prevent the passage of unfiltered material through such space, the said space is occupied by a sleeve of a resiliently deformable material, such as natural or artificial rubber which surrounds the braided cable.

United States Patent [191 Schlegel p [111 3,799532 Mar. 26, 1974 ARTICULATED COIL SPRING CONNECTOR [75] Inventor: William L. Schlegel, Stanhope, NJ.

[73] Assignee: Komline-Sanderson Engineering Corporation, Peapack, NJ.

[22] Filed: Mar. 16, 19.73

[21] Appl. No.: 341,910

[52] US. Cl. 267/148, 267/61 [51] Int. Cl Fl6f 1/12 [58] Field of Search 267/148, 135, 136, 147, 267/150, 182, 72, 61; 210/401 [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,652,927 9/1953 Komline 210/401 3,399,699

Primary Examiner-James B. Marbert Attorney, Agent, or FirmWatson, Cole, Grindle & Watson [57] ABSTRACT A connector for coil springs, including a pair of rela- 9/l968 Greene 267/61 tively aligned and spaced plugs of generally cylindrical shape for reception within the adjacent ends of the spring sections to be connected, said plugs having relatively opposed radial end faces adapted for abutting engagement with radially inwardly extending portions of the respective spring ends whereby to retain the springs on the plugs. The said plugs are interconnected by a braided flexible metal cable received in sockets within the respective plugs, the plugs being fixedly and permanently compression fitted onto the cable, whereby the cable transmits tensional forces between the plugs while being freely flexible and twistable to permit relative rotation of the plugs within limits about the longitudinal axis of the cable and relative angular movement of the plugs in planes parallel to the length of the cable. In the preferred embodiment, the space between the plugs is substantial in order to provide an ample range of flexibility and twistability.

In order to prevent the passage of unfiltered material through such space, the said space is occupied by a sleeve of a resiliently deformable material, such as natural or artificial rubber which surrounds the braided cable.

ARTICULATED COIL SPRING CONNECTOR This application relates to an improved articulated connector for coil spring sections and, more particularly, for such sections of coil springs, a plurality of which are employed in contiguous relation in liquid filtering units to jointly define the filter media.

In such filter units, as is now well known, the contiguous coils of the respective springs and interstices between adjoining coils of each spring, provide pores or openings in the composite filter belt formed by a multiplicity of the endless contiguous springs, and through which the liquid to be filtered is drawn into the interior of the vacuum drum. Thus there is formed a filter cake on the outer surface of the filter media which filter cake may be discharged during passage of the composite filter media around a discharge roll defining a portion of the endless circuit through which the springs are guided.

The present invention is an improvement on the connector disclosed in the application of William L. Schlegel, Ser. No. 194,168. It is extremely important in filters of the type above described, that the connectors by means of which the ends of the springs are connected to form endless loops, be capable of permitting uniform flexing of all portions of each spring loop, including those portions at and adjacent the connector, as the spring passes repeatedly around the various rolls and drums defining its endless circuit. Otherwise, if the connection is such as to result in a sharper bending or curving of the spring, adjacent to the connector than occurs elsewhere throughout the length of the spring, this will eventually result in fatigue and breakage, thus forming a void through which unfiltered material might pass to contaminate the resulting filtrate.

Moreover, it is desirable that the connectors be capable of permitting relative rotation between the interconnected ends of the springs, so that any stored torque within them may be removed by untwisting to thus avoid rolling and relative displacement tendencies of the springs on the filter drum and/or rolls.

In addition, it is desirable that the connectors themselves be so arranged as to substantially prevent the passage of unfiltered liquid therethrough at the locations of the connectors.

The present invention has been conceived and developed with the foregoing considerations in mind, and has for its object to provide a connector which will permit a uniform flexing of all portions of each spring including the interconnected end portions, as well as a limited extent of relative rotary movement of the spring ends about their common longitudinal axes.

A further object is to prevent the passage of unfiltered material through the composite filter belt formed by the springs at the locations of the connectors themselves.

Also it is an object to provide such connectors which may be quite readily and economically produced and assembled as well as applied to and removed from the coil springs, and which, in general, contribute to the springs a greatly increased life expectancy as contrasted to prior conventional connectors.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

The FIGURE represents a fragmentary view, partly in section of a connector of the invention as applied to the adjacent ends of springs.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawing, there are shown two ends or sections A and B, respectively, of a coil spring which are interconnected by the articulated connector, generally designated C of the invention, to define an endless loop adapted for use in contiguous relation with other similar such loops in forming a composite filter belt for a vacuum-type belt discharge filter unit. The filter unit itself is of a conventional nature such as disclosed in various of the prior U.S. Pats. of Thomas R. Komline, Nos. 2,583,698; 2,652,927 and 2,699,260.

As is usual, the spring sections A and B are formed of a stainless steel wire filament wound so that its adjacent coils are in substantially contiguous relation, the spring being tensioned or stretched when guided in endless loop formation around. its endless circuit to provide spaces of uniform width between adjoining coils through which the liquid may pass.

The preferred form of articulated connector C, as used in conjunction with the spring sections A and B comprises a pair of identical generally cylindrical plugs 10 and 11, respectively, which are preferably somewhat tapered or of reduced diameter at their relatively remote ends as shown, in order to facilitate bending of the spring sections A and B without interference, as well as to facilitate insertion of the plugs into the respective spring sections A and B. The plugsare of a diameter such as to fit freely into the spring ends and are retained therein by radially inwardly extending terminal end portions 12 and 13 of the wire filament forming the respective coil spring sections. End portions 12, 13 abut against the relatively opposed axial end faces 14 and 15 of the respective plugs.

These end faces will preferably extend in radial planes perpendicular to the cylindrical axes of the respective plugs as shown in the drawing, to abut positively against the inwardly bent spring ends 12 and 13, whereby the connector C may better withstand the tension applied to the spring loop of which the end Sections A and B are a part. The two plugs 10 and 11 thus will normally be in substantial axial alignment and are interconnected by flexible tension means, such as exemplified by the braided flexible cable 17, the opposite ends of which are inserted within sockets 18 and 19 of the respective plugs. These sockets are aligned with the cylindrical axes of the respective plugs. The plugs will preferably be of a material such as steel or a plastic having sufficient malleability or deformability that after the ends of the braided cable are inserted in the sockets l4 and 15, the cylindrical plugs are radially swaged or inwardly compressed to thus firmly engage the cable to provide a secure connection of each plug to the cable. It will be seen that the flexibility of the braided cable will permit substantially free angular movement between the respective plugs in all planes common to their cylindrical axes and, moreover, the construction of the braided cable permits limited twisting thereof to permit substantially free, though limited, rotary move ment of the plugs sufficient to release any torsional forces in the interconnected spring sections A and B which might otherwise tend to roll them across the face of the drum and/or rolls with which they cooperate.

In order to ensure an adequate amount of permissible angular and rotary movement between the interconnected plugs, it is desirable that there by a reasonably great length of free or unobstructed cable 17 between them. In other words, there should be a substantial space between the opposed axially presented end faces 14 and 15 of the plugs.

Passage of unfiltered liquid through such space is prevented by means of a resiliently deformable hollow cylindrical sleeve or bushing 20 of a resiliently deformable material such as natural or artificial rubber which is positioned on the braided cable 17 between the plugs and preferably under a slight degree of axial compression, such that its end faces are pressed into engagement with the opposing end faces 14 and 15 of the bushings. The sleeves 20 are of the same external diameter as the springs to prevent passage of unfiltered liquid between the sleeves and the springs on either side of the spring sections interconnected to each sleeve 20.

The connectors in accordance with the preferred embodiment above described may readily be assembled, prior to their use for connecting the spring sections, simply by threading the cable 17 through the bushing 20 with its ends projecting therefrom, then inserting the opposite ends of the cable into the sockets in the respective plugs and 11 and swaging or radially compressing the sockets into secure binding engagement with the opposite ends of the cable, while maintaining them in snug axial engagement with the interposed sleeve so as lightly to compress the latter.

Thereafter, the connector may be applied to the spring ends A and B by inserting the plugs 10 and 11 within the respective ends; then bending the terminal end portions 12 and 13 of the spring wire filament to extend radially inwardly into abutment with the end faces of the respective plugs. The resilient deformability or yieldability of the sleeve 20 will readily permit such bending of the spring ends and reception thereof between the plugs and sleeve and will thereafter serve to snugly engage the plugs to prevent any substantial passage of unfiltered liquid.

in this application there is shown and described only the preferred embodiment of the invention, simply by way of illustration of the practice thereof. However, it is recognized that the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, all without departing from the invention as defined in the claims which follow.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are as follows:

1. A connector for coil spring sections forming the filter media of a filter unit, comprising a pair of generally cylindrical plugs proportioned for free coaxial reception within the ends of the coil spring sections to be interconnected; said plugs respectively having relatively opposed end faces in radial planes thereof for axially abutting engagement by radially inwardly directed portions of the respective spring sections; and freely flexible and twistable tension means affixed to and interconnecting the said plugs in fixedly spaced relation for free relative angular movement by flexing of said tension means and for a limited degree of relative rotary movement.

2. A connector as defined in claim 1, in which said tension means comprises a braided wire cable.

3. A connector as defined in claim 1, in which said plugs are formed with relatively aligned sockets opening axially through the central portions of their respective said end faces, the opposite ends of said tension means being fixedly secured in the respective said sockets.

4. A connector as defined in claim 3, in which said plugs are of deformable material and radially inwardly deformed around and in tight frictional engagement with the said ends of the tension means.

5. A connector as defined in claim 1, including a resiliently deformable externally cylindrical sleeve disposed on said tension means and occupying the space between said end faces.

6. A connector as defined in claim 5, in which said sleeve is axially compressed between said end faces and in flush engagement therewith, while being of an external diameter substantially equal to that of the interconnected springs. 

1. A connector for coil spring sections forming the filter media of a filter unit, comprising a pair of generally cylindrical plugs proportioned for free coaxial reception within the ends of the coil spring sections to be interconnected; said plugs respectively having relatively opposed end faces in radial planes thereof for axially abutting engagement by radially inwardly directed portions of the respective spring sections; and freely flexible and twistable tension means affixed to and interconnecting the said plugs in fixedly spaced relation for free relative angular movement by flexing of said tension means and for a limited degree of relative rotary movement.
 2. A connector as defined in claim 1, in which said tension means comprises a braided wire cable.
 3. A connector as defined in claim 1, in which said plugs are formed with relatively aligned sockets opening axially through the central portions of their respective said end faces, the opposite ends of said tension means being fixedly secuRed in the respective said sockets.
 4. A connector as defined in claim 3, in which said plugs are of deformable material and radially inwardly deformed around and in tight frictional engagement with the said ends of the tension means.
 5. A connector as defined in claim 1, including a resiliently deformable externally cylindrical sleeve disposed on said tension means and occupying the space between said end faces.
 6. A connector as defined in claim 5, in which said sleeve is axially compressed between said end faces and in flush engagement therewith, while being of an external diameter substantially equal to that of the interconnected springs. 